The former Liverpool striker reinvented himself as a media personality following his retirement from the game, although the 37-year-old has struggled to win over viewers on his native BT Sport.

Critics have labelled him “devoid of charisma”, while fans have slammed his analytical contributions as “useless”.

And now poor Mike has been ripped to shreds after making his acting debut in an excruciating advert promoting Dubai tourism.

Far east property developers, First Group, cast Owen as a cheeky helicopter pilot, giving viewers a guided tour of the oil-rich city from the skies above.

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CAPTAIN CRINGE: The former England striker flies his helicopter over Dubai

The full clip, clocking in at an eye-watering 10 minutes, was recently posted to YouTube – but mercifully, one Facebook user took the time to edit a highlight reel of the most cringeworthy moments for your consumption.

Complete with dodgy CGI, the clip shows Owen piloting the space-age chopper toward the iconic Burj al Arab hotel – one of the most iconic buildings in the city, standing more than 1000ft tall.

“It may look a bit small from up here, but it is quite large,” drones Owen says.